Building Jewish Identity in Atlanta’s Schools: The Impact of the Jewish Student Union
Jewish Student Union Group Photo
When the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta conducted a community survey in 2006, the results painted a challenging picture: two out of three Jewish adults were unaffiliated, and among teens, the numbers were even more concerning. While thousands of Jewish youth were enrolled in day schools, synagogues, or Jewish summer camps, the overlap revealed that only a few hundred unique teens were engaged in Jewish life.
That discovery sparked Rabbi Chaim Neiditch to act. “Every Jewish teen has one thing in common—they all go to school,” he recalls. With that simple realization, he founded the Jewish Student Union (JSU), a program designed to bring Jewish experiences directly to teens where they already spend most of their time.
Nineteen years later, JSU has become one of Atlanta’s most significant pipelines for Jewish identity and community building. With clubs active in 24 schools across six counties, Rabbi Neiditch and his team engaged more than 4,000 students last year and are on track to reach even more this year. “Our mission is to deliver Judaism in a way that’s free, accessible, and meaningful,” he says.
Each program is guided by students’ interests and blends social, educational, and hands-on activities, with relationship-building at the core. Students braid challah while discussing its spiritual meaning, make caramel apples tied to the themes of Rosh Hashanah, or debate the miracle of Hanukkah’s eight nights. They laugh, share stories, and walk away not just with new Jewish knowledge but with friendships that strengthen their identity. Often, the impact extends beyond the classroom. “Parents call me saying, ‘I never thought my teen was interested, and now we’re baking challah together at home,’” Rabbi Neiditch shares.
Longtime supporter Susan Moray has seen the transformation firsthand. She recalls a student from an interfaith family who wore a cross inside a Star of David pendant—an image that, to her, captured JSU’s unique reach. “This is exactly who Rabbi Neiditch is impacting: teens navigating multiple identities and searching for meaning,” she says.
JSU’s influence extends well beyond high school. Alumni can be found leading Jewish life on college campuses, staffing Federation programs, and even raising their own families in Atlanta’s Jewish community. “It’s a full circle,” Rabbi Neiditch explains. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years. Now I have parents who went through my programs telling me, ‘I want my child to have the same amazing experience you gave me when I was a teen.’”
The need for JSU has only grown since October 7, when antisemitism surged in schools and Jewish teens began facing new challenges. The number of students participating in JSU programs has doubled in the past year. Through long-standing relationships with principals and teachers, Rabbi Neiditch is often the first call when a student needs support. “We’re the only ones on the ground in the schools,” he emphasizes. “We meet with administrators, students, parents—even sometimes the kids expressing antisemitic views—to make sure our teens feel safe and supported.”
JSU continues to expand, supported by donors and a matching grant from the Helen Marie Stern Fund, and working in tandem with Federation’s JTeen and JInnovation initiatives. Rabbi Neiditch hopes that momentum inspires greater investment in the next generation. “Most Jewish teens in Atlanta are unaffiliated,” he says. “But when you reach them where they are, when you listen and guide them, you can change their lives—and, in turn, the future of our community.”